Memo

Taste Smell My 02 sense(s) Memo

After a long absence, Mrs Memo and I visited Cafe Brio the other night. I forgot how great a dining room it is - for food, service and just the attentiveness of the hosts. Greg Hays genuinely makes you feel welcome - something quite rare in Victoria. Wine and food pairing is great, for some - but I really prefer to just sip on a wine I like - like the Juan Gil 2003 Monastrell. (Buy this wine - and buy it now!) MM and I enjoyed the clams in a wonderful broth which included Choux Choux's chorizo picante. I followed this with the satisfying Grilled Top Sirloin Steak - with herb-buttered pommes frites, braised shallots & swiss chard. MM wowed at the flavors in the Albacore Tuna Wrapped in Bacon - with fried quail egg, fingerling potato confit, and sauce soubise. Fo dessert - a glass of Venturi Schulze Brandenburg No. 3 till later Memo

The beef tongue @ Hapa Izakaya Memo

I'd choose a repeat of my first Vancouver meal: A&W root beer, burger (with pickle slice, of course) and onion rings. Memo

Unless the history books have been rewritten - the suggested menu items do not reflect an indigenous BC dinner, but rather a regional one. While sablefish and salmon are indigenous to BC - chicken, goat and lamb were introduced from Europe. Still, it's an excellent and noteworthy dinner concept. Best, Memo

I keep seeing the Pouline bread at UF but I'm sure that they have the dough flown in and the bake it. ← If you order Poilâne's 2kg decorated loaf - with the option of a free personal message - directly from Paris, it will cost you CDN$ 53.00 (including taxes and shipping). Memo

I heard the focus will be on Armstrong cheddar and Money's mushrooms! Memo, mmmakes mmmeals mmmarvelous!

I realize this if off-topic - but your mention of my favorite Mexican cake brings back fond memories of me and my brothers' first band - Los Tres Leches. Can you guess which is me - Whole, Condensed or Evaporated? Memo

Here are some pics of last-night's $35 set menu @ The Marina Restaurant. Wonderful flavors, presentation - and a great room (with wind-bobbing sailboats shifting outside the window). For appetizers, I started with the Grilled Pear and Endive Salad, with blue cheese vinaigrette. Mrs. Memo had the rich Smoked Sablefish and Cauliflower Veloute. (NOTE: While our server assured me it was not a Rorschach's test - I thought I could see a green-skinned Josephine Baker diving into the pool. What do you see?) For entrees, I savored the intense Braised Beef Shortrib and Seared Alaskan Scallop dish, with mushroom and leek ragout. Mrs. Memo coast-ed through the Grilled Wild Coho Salmon, with lemon and mascarpone Israeli couscous. Dessert, for me - after savory - is difficult. I was so full from all the flavors. However, I braved the - look out Neil! - Warm Ginger Cake, with toffee ice cream and toffee sauce. (I decided to have half of it boxed to-go, so I could enjoy it with my morning coffee.) Mrs. Memo thrilled with her Gianduja Pot de Creme, with rosemary sable cookie. Upon leaving, the wind blew us all the way out to our car, and gently poked my face into the remaining dark-iced ginger cake. My face, in the rearview mirror, looked like a relative of Josephine Baker's. Memo

PS - this first course was an intense flavor treat, creatively garnished with an edible fork-shaped touille cookie! Memo

Just completed a fabulous Sunday lunch @ Deep Cove Chalet. Two couples, two birthdays. A good old spicy Cesar got the juices flowing - before proceeding with: Caesar Salad (with anchovy) Consomme Citron (beef consomme with lemon pieces & sherry) Country Pate (with pickles and pitted Nicoise olives) Then our mains, accompanied by a bottle of Caves des Papes Cote du Rhone 2003. Roast Chicken, served with a simple jus and spinach Cuvet of Rabbit, with prunes and carrots Sturgeon, pan-seared in a veal jus None of us generally do dessert, but who could resist (especially when accompanied by a glass of Veuve de Vernay) - Floating Island Pear Helene Tarte de Tatin Grand Marnier Souffle Yum. Memo

Sea Change describe their salmon jerky as "inspired by the traditional recipes of Canada's West Coast native peoples". This is far more accurate than the (US-centric) Saveur description. "West Coast American Indians" includes Mexico's indigenous peoples - but salmon is not found off their Pacific coast. Memo

You can find Sea Change smoked salmon products at Vancouver airport. Likely that's where the writer picked it up! Memo

Happy now that Brasserie l'Ecole has re-opened - and I was able to enjoy their Whaletown Bays (plumper that kumamotos). Brasserie's mignonette is, for me, the best in the whole dang west. Thanks for the tip on the happy-hour oysters at Irish Times. Memo, on the half-shell

Anyone care to venture a guess as to the reasoning behind the name keep? ← My ventured guess is that the new owners have fond memories (going back a couple of decades) of Herald Street Caffe - and would like to return it to its former glory. In other words, the wrong reason to (re)open a restaurant. Memo

Strange - but, by the end of the meal - everyone had red (packet) faces. Here's the post-eye fish head. I had a great time. Thanks so much, Mooshmouse & Canucklehead - et al. Memo

Last week... halfway through my bowl of Chicken Penne Soup @ Ferris' Oyster Bar - I thought I saw Rob Feenie's face reflected in my spoon. Look familiar? I turned around, and - sure enough - Chef Feenie (accompanied by a group of hockey fanistas) were chowing down on Ferris' signature hamburgers and fries - at the table right behind me! I'm attempting to find out - from the Ferris staff - what transpired that night in Victoria. Memo, Insider to the Stars

Here are the Popeyes locations in Canada. Remember, Memo likes lots of Olive Oyl on his Popeyes. Memo

As renovations by definition go over budget and past deadlines, Brasserie "l'ecole" will be closed for at least an additional week. Hopefully by Friday January 20th the new kitchen will be ready. ← I heard they won't be opening until February 1st. That's the first date that appears on their website's reservation page. Memo, Insider to the Stars

I heard that Gord was opening up Bin 943, 944, 945, 946, 947, 948 and 949... ← You forgot to mention Bin 666! Regarding EAT and other publications' typos, etc... I think what is happening is that with the rush for printing deadlines, key elements like typographical errors are not being checked. I often hear the excuse - "well, even the 'big guys' [mainstream press] have typos". PS - Am I the only one who has noticed that the eGullet clock is one hour ahead - and has been for months! For instance, I just modified/added this note @ 8:04 PST - and it notes (incorrectly) that I made the modification @ 9:04 (or thereabouts). Memo, Insider to the Stars

Matt, I don't get it? Well, I do get it (Matt's reference), as someone who spends a lot of time in Victoria - generally trying to avoid reading the T-C. The Times Colonist is notorious for typos. But, unlike EAT magazine - which is chock-full of local/original content - 99-percent of the T-C's copy is pulled right off the wire service. The T-C does have a weekly restaurant reviewer - a very generous one. She regularly gives four stars (and if I'm not mistaken, recently gave Herald Street Caffe top sparkles)! Memo - Insider to the Stars

To start this off, I predict (basically because I'd like to see) more beef tongue appearing on menus near us this year. (Hapa Izakaya already has a subtle, but excellent, version of this on their menu.) I also predict an end to tiramisu (enough, already)! I'd be interested in hearing others' predictions. Pull out your crystal ball(s) and start listing! Memo

Well. if you want to "hold the mayo" - a martini glass certainly facilitates that! Chris - will your "Mayo-tini" have an interesting egg:oil ratio? Memo

I was halfway through my bowl of pho, when I looked into my soupspoon and behold - a face appeared in the reflection, looking a lot like chef Feenie! I'm sending this photo to the Enquirer. Memo

Great! Sounds like Saltlik = gemütlich! Memo